Galway Motor Club gears up for big Summer Rally!
Preparations are well advanced for the 4×4 Exporters Galway Summer Stages Rally. This is the first rally sponsorship by the Galway based 4×4 and luxury car exporting company. It will all happen over the weekend of 29th and 30th August next. As Round 7 of the Triton Showers National Championship, Round 4 of the Top Part West Coast Championship, and additionally, for 2015 also included in the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship. A full entry of 160 of Irelands top line rally drivers is therefore guaranteed. The rally headquarters will be the Clayton Hotel, Ballybrit, Galway. Associate sponsors of the event are Athenry based company Bluebird Care, and DHKN, Chartered Accountants.
The event was launched in the Clayton Hotel on July 16th by His Worship Mayor of Galway City Councillor Frank Fahy and the Mayor of the County Peter Roche.
The Clerk of the Course is Mark Parsons, Galway Motor Club President, an experienced organiser and rally competitor. The 2015 event will run to a full weekend format with Scrutiny, Ceremonial Start and entertainment on Saturday 29th August. The Sunday route will then cover 9 special stages in the East Galway area. Official Rally Programmes with full time schedules and detailed maps and full entry lists will be available in the week before the event.
The rally format will bring a welcome boost to visitor numbers to Galway County. The event generates a requirement for approximately 1000 bed nights in the area over the weekend.
Mark Parsons, Clerk of the Course, said “Galway Motor Club is indebted to the staff of Galway County Council, An Garda Siochana, Failte Ireland, the Road Safety Authority, our sponsors, the 300 volunteer marshals from all over Ireland, and most of all the residents along the route for their assistance with temporary road closures to ensure the safe running of the event.”
The Galway Summer Stages Rally is an event that is sanctioned by the FIA under an official Permit issued by Motorsport Ireland, and supported by the RSA – The Road Safety Authority of Ireland. The ‘Keep the Race in its Place’ campaign is extremely successful in talking to predominantly young people who follow motorsport. The Galway Motor Club is eager to remind everyone of the need to drive safely at all times – hence the message “Keep the Race in its Place’’. All competing cars will carry this logo and message. A comprehensive traffic management plan has been put in place with the support of the Gardai.
The 2014 Galway Summer Rally was a great success. Donegal cousins Declan and Brian Boyle were winners with Hugh Hunter and Andy Marchbank from Wales finishing second, both driving Subaru WRC cars. The Galway Summer Rally attracts a large entry from Galway Motor Club members, all vying for the prestigious Conroy Cup. The cup has been presented annually since 1989 to the highest placed car crewed by club members. Current holder of the cup is Neil Pearse from Loughrea, who was navigated by Enda O Leary in his Honda Civic, when winning the cup in 2014.
The launch of the 2015 event will take place this Thursday, 23rd July, at the Rally Headquarters, the Clayton Hotel in Ballybrit, Galway at 8.00pm, an event open to all.
The club is also delighted to have Ability West as its partnered Charity for 2015
Ability West provides quality services and supports to over 530 individuals with intellectual disability in over 55 locations throughout Galway City and County. Their mission is to provide an individual and holistic service to each person availing of their services, with each person supported and valued within an environment which promotes their overall autonomy, health and wellbeing and enables them to reach their potential.
